world – game
notes – fictrade with Snoaz
prompt – Hikari as the protagonist, takes place just outside of Hearthome, on route 209 and Lucas has a Drifloon.
Grey-eyed Constellations
Kouki took a flashlight out of the side of his knapsack and proceeded to lean gently on the side of the crumbling structure and peer into the shadows cultivating down the hole framed by the weathered rocks. His fingers flexed as they gripped tightly onto the edge of the opening and his eyes lilted despite the bare, worn walls that the light revealed. The rocky bottom of the Hallowed Tower was not as deep as he had initially suspected, for he had almost believed it to be endless as the books of myths and lore he had savoured claimed it to be. His heart thrummed happily in his chest as he rested the torch between his cheek and shoulder to run ten eager fingers over the charming inscriptions carved on the side of the miniature tower. The colours of the evening sky were gradually fading into the night, but Kouki seemed unable to move from his spot at the foot of the structure.
The boy could not restrain the wide, unbridled smile from forming on his face at the thought of uncovering the mystery of the Hallowed Tower; the accompanying idea of conducting in-person research and diligent observation did nothing to quell the excitement burning from his chest. The sheer thought of a new discovery, of learning more about the region and its history – it was one of the very reasons why he treasured his job as an assistant so much. The monumental reward unfairly outweighed the cost.
The drifloon hovering at his side crooned impatiently, inspecting the formation of rocks with a level of disinterest that would not be rivaled. The pokémon prodded at the aged stones with its flimsy arms, and when he garnered no reaction that could prove his trainer's apparent enthusiasm, he proceeded to inhale a breath of air. Kouki laughed as the balloon pokémon inflated itself in an effort to express its disappointment and boredom. The boy soothed the purple creature with one hand, though his other refused to leave the cold touch of the rocks.
"We'll just be here for awhile longer, then we'll go to the Lost Tower," he consoled the drifloon, carefully reminding the ghost-type of something that contained appeal.
The air slowly leaked out of the pokémon as he gave in to his trainer's consolation, then he turned to see a brunette travelling down the dim roads in a dark pink jacket and snow-white scarf that stood out amongst the environment of the night. There was a definite spring to her step, and the way her eyes gleamed grey under the flush of the rising moon displayed an eagerness that could competently match his trainer's. She had her attention fixated on the source of light stemming from Kouki's torch, brightly outlining the frame of his body in the otherwise dark landscape. The drifloon floated aside as he tapped Kouki's shoulder with a heart-shaped appendage. He paused to realise that the boy was far too concerned over recording the inscriptions to respond to his direction, dismissing it with an understatement of "Hold on, almost done." The pokémon inhaled air quite crossly just as the girl came to a stop a couple of feet from the Hallowed Tower and its new, unregistered worshipper.
Hikari managed to swallow a bout of laughter under her palm, for she had witnessed the whole scene playing out as she was making her way over the river to approach the unlikely duo. She gathered the straps of her bag and hoisted them securely onto her shoulder to prevent any chances of the carrier falling and alerting the detached boy about her presence. Her eyes softened as she scrutinized Kouki's back and the way his shoulders hunched together, like he was trying to keep a wondrous discovery hidden from the rest of the world. A smile that was uncannily familiar to the one the boy had on earlier appeared on her kind countenance.
The drifloon found the air escaping out of his body without his notice, and he lingered closer to the stranger, naturally attracted by her easy smile and her graceful face.
She reached out her hands to take the pair of yellow hearts into her grasp, regarding the pokémon with a cordial grin and a whispered 'hello'. Her eyes were keen and understanding, her smile full of experience and wonder – she had a knack for dealing with pokémon, the drifloon could sense the warmth thick in the atmosphere around her. And it was plain to see that she cared more about his welfare and interests than the boy nearly caressing the dingy little rock formation could currently afford.
The pokémon quickly floated towards the Lost Tower reaching out towards the clouded, starry sky not too far away. Unfortunately, Hikari was still too heavy despite her slender frame, and the drifloon soon found himself tuckered out from attempting to drag her towards the alluring tower.
"Oh? Are you okay?" the girl asked with worry, her voice no longer inaudible to the boy crouching at the Hallowed Tower.
Kouki sprang to his feet and spun to face her abruptly, resting his eyes on the sight of his drifloon floating in the direction of a graveyard for pokémon and the sweet, important girl holding tightly onto one stringy arm, ready to be guided into the looming obscurity of the night.
"Careful!" The boy's voice acted upon pure instinct.
Hikari jumped at the odd greeting, taking the tired drifloon into her arms as she addressed her friend with curious eyes and a startled confusion gathering on her face. The boy followed suit, quickly establishing that nothing potentially dangerous was happening.
"S-sorry!" Kouki apologised with embarrassment, "he had me spooked because I remembered how drifloon are supposed to drag people into the underworld and all," he reasoned sheepishly, an uneasy smile gracing his face. He made sure to hold the torch away from himself without blinding her eyes, deciding to center the beam of light in the small space of ground that separated them from bumping in the dark. An equal glow of light held their faces, including that of a very disgruntled pokémon.
The ghost-type fumed as it felt the stinging sensation of offense, black-dot eyes glaring at the hurtful, false accusation. Hikari hugged the pokémon closely to her chest to calm him down, the beginnings of her light laughter bubbling through the creature's agitation and effectively taming said emotions.
"I wouldn't worry about that," the girl answered smoothly as she comforted the pokémon cradled in her arms. Her eyes smiled along with her mouth, and she seemed visibly moved by his words as she said, "You're always, always there to help me out of trouble either way."
Her modest grin accommodated the presence of quiet gratitude and humbling nostalgia – of double battles that were three-years old and dependable help that had been vital in defeating tyrannical women with crimson hair and purple lipstick. She released the drifloon from her arms to search her bag and draw out two items in both her hands. It was hard to distinguish them in the dark, but Kouki did not need to shine his torch over them to know what they were – a Dowsing Machine and a Vs. Seeker.
The pokémon surveyed the way their smiles mirrored one another, the way her eyes shimmered and his eyes brightened at the sight of the unforgotten machines despite the shade of the nighttime.
"I never did say thank you properly," Hikari laughed absently.
"Don't sweat it, you're – I mean – they're part of the perks of being an assistant." Kouki stumbled, and it could not be confirmed if he was blushing.
The drifloon crooned and decided he could wait for the trip to the Lost Tower – the darker it was, the more riveting and cozy for him.